| Summary: | "During the late nineteenth century, thousands of diggers, prospectors, merchants, and dealers extracted and shipped over 50 million carats of rough diamonds from South Africa to Europe. The primary supplier to the world, South Africa's diamond fields became one of the formative sites of modern capitalist production. At each stage of the diamond's route through the British empire and beyond-from Cape Town to London, from Amsterdam to New York City-carbon gems were primarily traded, appraised, manufactured, and sold by Jews. A Brilliant Commodity traces how once-peripheral Jewish populations became the central architects of a new, global exchange of diamonds that connected African sites of supply, European manufacturing centers, American retailers, and Western consumers. Centuries of restrictions had limited Jews to trade and finance, businesses that relied heavily on internal networks. Jews were well positioned to become key players in the earliest stage of the diamond trade and its growth into a global industry, a development fueled by technological advancements, a dramatic rise in the demand of luxury goods, and an abundance of rough stones. Mercantile and familial ties across continents aided Jews in creating a highly successful commodity chain that included buyers, brokers, cutters, factory owners, financiers, and retailers. Working within a diasporic ethnic community that bridged city and countryside, metropole and colony, Jews helped build a flourishing diamond industry, notably Hatton Garden in London and the Diamond District of New York City, and a place for themselves in the modern world"--Publisher's description.
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